Inhaler-mask



(No Model.)

S.P. STEVES.

INHALER MASK.

No. 596,919. Patented J an. 4,1898.

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SAMUEL PARKER STEVES, OF JORDAN, NElV YORK.

IN HALER-MASK.

SPECIFICATION forming part oi Letters latent No. 596,919, dated January 4, 1898.

Application filed March 10, 1897. Serial No. 626,840. (No model.)

To ocZZ whomit may concern.- 1

Be it known that LSAMUEL PARKER STnvEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ordan, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Protector-Mask, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to protector-masks more especially designed to protect the face of firemen or others from heat, smoke, or other noxious gases, its object being to provide a device of this kind which will protect the face of the wearer and alford an ample supply of fresh air for breathing purposes, and which device is provided with suitable openings to enable the wearer to see through it.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the several details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention in position over the face of a person and showing the manner of supporting the fresh-air-supply tube. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of themask, detached. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the harness used to support the fresh-air tube, detached.

Similar referencenumerals indicate similar parts in the several figures.

1 represents the mask, the main portion of which may be of any suitable material, preferably stilt, and treated so as to be fireproof.

2 represents a flexible strip secured around the edges of the mask on the inside, and this strip is also preferably made fireproof, and is provided with a suitable packing 3, of felt or othersuitable material, in order that a close joint may be made between the flexible strip and the forehead, chin, and jaws of the wearer.

The mask is so formed as to leave a space between itand the front of the face of the wearer to form an air-chamber.

The upper edge e of the mask is designed to fit against the forehead of the wearer and is provided. with a series of passages or openings 5 for the purpose of ventilation, as will be referred to more specifically hereinafter.

6 represents holes formed in the body of the mask opposite the eyes of the wearer, and 7 is a hole formed in the mask opposite the mouth of the wearer. The holes 6 are each covered with a small pane of glass or mica 8, which will enable the wearer to see out through the mask and at the same time effectually exclude smoke or other noxious gases.

In order to hold the mask in place, I preferably secure an elastic cord 9 to the flexible strip 2, which cord extends over the crown of the wearer and will tend to draw the flexible strip closely against the chin and jaws of the wearer and thereby make a close joint to exclude the smoke or other noxious gases. Other elasticcords 10 and 11 extend from the sides of the mask near the chin portion around to the back of the head, where they may be secured together, and a third elastic cord 12 is connected to the upper edge of the mask about midway of its width and passes over the crown of the wearer and is connected to the cord 9 and the cords 10 and 11. In this manner the mask is securely held in position and a helmet may be worn on the head in the usual manner.

lVhile I prefer to use the elastic cords 9, 10,

11, and 12, it is obvious that straps or inelastic devices may be employed to secure the mask in position.

13 represents the fresh-air tube, which is provided with a mouthpiece 14:, adapted to pass loosely through the hole 7 into the mouth of the wearer and to be held therein by his teeth. A- suitable packing 15 is provided around the mouthpiece 14: in order to form a close joint between the mouthpiece and the hole 7 for the purpose of effectually excluding smoke or other noxious gases. The airtube is made in sections and may therefore be of any length desired, as it is intended to have it extend out into the open air to a point sufficiently remote from the fire to furnish pure air to the wearer of the mask.

The advantage of having the mouthpiece loosely inserted in the opening in the mask is that the wearer of the mask may remove the mouthpiece from the opening whenever desirable and breathe in a natural manner, as sufficient air will pass through the opening into the mask.

16 represents clamps in which theaietube 13 is held. Each of these clamps is provided with an upper and lower loop, (indicated by 17 and 18, respectively.) Through the lower around the wearers waist.

loops 18 a belt 19 passes and is buckled tightly Another belt or strap passes through the upper loop 17 of the front clamp, thence over the wearers shoulder and around under his arm, and its ends are buckled to hold it in position. Another strap 21. is secured to the upper loop 17 of the rear clamp and extends across the back of the wearer and is buckled to a short strap 22, which is connected to the strap 20. The straps or belts 19, 20, 21, and 22 thus form a harness which can be readily put on the wearer of the mask and will support the freshair tube, thus leaving the wearers hands free to be used for any necessary purpose.

When a person is equipped with a device of this character, he will be able to move freely about in dense smoke or other noxious gases without danger of asphyxiation, since he will be supplied with an abundance of fresh air for breathing purposes through the tube 13. This tube will of course be sufficiently light as not to be burdensome to the wearer of the mask in his movements, and, as before stated,

is designed to extend outside'of the building to a point remote from the smoke or gasin which the wearer of the mask is enveloped.

The wearer of the mask will hold the mouthpiece 14 firmly between his teeth and suck the air through the tube into his lungs and expel it therefrom through his nostrils, and the expelled air will pass up over his face and through the passages 5. in the top edge of the maslgwhich will eifectually drive out any smoke or gas which might perhaps penetrate through these passages,and should the wearer of themask have a helmet on his head the foul air will escape through the ventilatingopenings usually formed in the helmet.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and effectual device for the protection of firemen and others against the effects of smoke or other noxious gases, and that it can be worn and used without necessitating the employment of the wearers hands,which are thus left free to do anything that may be necessary.

It will be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination with a mask provided with an opening opposite the mouth of the wearer and with ventilating-openings in its upper edge, and means to secure the mask in position with its edges closely engaging the face of the wearer, of afresh-air-supply tube independently supported on the body of the wearer of the mask, and provided with a mouthpiece at one end to be loosely inserted through the opening in the mask into the mouth of the wearer, and packing around the mouthpiece to make a close joint between it and the opening in the mask,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a mask of stilf. fireproof material, provided with openings opposite the mouth and eyes of the wearer. and with ventilating-openings in its upper edge, of aflexible fireproof strip secured to the edges of the mask, packing on the inner face of said strip, cords or straps attached to the flexible strip and adapted to be secured around the head of the wearer to hold the strip in close contact with his forehead, chin and jaws, transparent material to close the eye'openings in the mask, afresh-air-supply tube independentlysupported on the body or the wearer and having a mouthpiece at one end to be loosely inserted through the opening in the mask into the mouth of its wearer. 

